Features of Bayou Choctaw SPR Caverns and Internal Structure of the Salt Dome

Features of Bayou Choctaw SPR Caverns and Internal Structure of the Salt Dome PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 64

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Book Description
The intent of this study is to examine the internal structure of the Bayou Choctaw salt dome utilizing the information obtained from graphical representations of sonar survey data of the internal cavern surfaces. Many of the Bayou Choctaw caverns have been abandoned. Some existing caverns were purchased by the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) program and have rather convoluted histories and complex cavern geometries. In fact, these caverns are typically poorly documented and are not particularly constructive to this study. Only two Bayou Choctaw caverns, 101 and 102, which were constructed using well-controlled solutioning methods, are well documented. One of these was constructed by the SPR for their use while the other was constructed and traded for another existing cavern. Consequently, compared to the SPR caverns of the West Hackberry and Big Hill domes, it is more difficult to obtain a general impression of the stratigraphy of the dome. Indeed, caverns of Bayou Choctaw show features significantly different than those encountered in the other two SPR facilities. In the number of abandoned caverns, and some of those existing caverns purchased by the SPR, extremely irregular solutioning has occurred. The two SPR constructed caverns suggest that some sections of the caverns may have undergone very regular solutioning to form uniform cylindrical shapes. Although it is not usually productive to speculate, some suggestions that point to the behavior of the Bayou Choctaw dome are examined. Also the primary differences in the Bayou Choctaw dome and the other SPR domes are noted.

Features of Bayou Choctaw SPR Caverns and Internal Structure of the Salt Dome

Features of Bayou Choctaw SPR Caverns and Internal Structure of the Salt Dome PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 64

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Book Description
The intent of this study is to examine the internal structure of the Bayou Choctaw salt dome utilizing the information obtained from graphical representations of sonar survey data of the internal cavern surfaces. Many of the Bayou Choctaw caverns have been abandoned. Some existing caverns were purchased by the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) program and have rather convoluted histories and complex cavern geometries. In fact, these caverns are typically poorly documented and are not particularly constructive to this study. Only two Bayou Choctaw caverns, 101 and 102, which were constructed using well-controlled solutioning methods, are well documented. One of these was constructed by the SPR for their use while the other was constructed and traded for another existing cavern. Consequently, compared to the SPR caverns of the West Hackberry and Big Hill domes, it is more difficult to obtain a general impression of the stratigraphy of the dome. Indeed, caverns of Bayou Choctaw show features significantly different than those encountered in the other two SPR facilities. In the number of abandoned caverns, and some of those existing caverns purchased by the SPR, extremely irregular solutioning has occurred. The two SPR constructed caverns suggest that some sections of the caverns may have undergone very regular solutioning to form uniform cylindrical shapes. Although it is not usually productive to speculate, some suggestions that point to the behavior of the Bayou Choctaw dome are examined. Also the primary differences in the Bayou Choctaw dome and the other SPR domes are noted.

Threat of a Sinkhole

Threat of a Sinkhole PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 15

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Book Description
Cavern Lake at Bayou Choctaw salt dome resulted from the failure of Cavern 7 in 1954. Uncontrolled solutioning of this cavern through the thin caprock had set the stage for overburden to collapse into the cavern below. A similar situation developed with nearby Cavern 4, but with less dissolutioning of the caprock. Because pressure loss was already a problem and because another 800 ft diameter lake would have endangered surface operations, solutioning of Cavern 4 was stopped and the cavern abandoned in 1957 in order to protect the already-small site. In 1978 the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) acquired a number of caverns at Bayou Choctaw, including Cavern 4, and the possible repeat of the Cavern 7 failure and formation of another lake thus became an issue. The cavern dimensions were re-sonared in 1980 for comparison with 1963 and 1977 surveys. Annual surface leveling between 1982--1992 showed less subsidence occurring than the site average, and a cavern monitoring system, installed in 1984, has revealed no anomalous motion. Repeat sonar surveys in 1992 showed very little, if any, change occurred since 1980 although a small amount of uncertainty exists as a result of changing sonar techniques. We conclude that significant additional solutioning or erosion of the caprock has not occurred and that there is no increased threat to SPR operations.

Features of West Hackberry SPR Caverns and Internal Structure Of the Salt Dome

Features of West Hackberry SPR Caverns and Internal Structure Of the Salt Dome PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 81

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The intent of this report is to examine the internal structure of the West Hackberry salt dome utilizing the information from the geometric configuration of the internal cavern surfaces obtained from graphical representations of sonar survey data. In a general sense, the caverns of West Hackberry are remarkable in the symmetry of their shapes. There are only rather moderate deviations from what would be considered an ideal cylindrical solution mining geometry in these caverns. This finding is in marked contrast to the directional solutioning found in the elliptical cross sectioned, sometimes winged, caverns of Big Hill. None of the persistent lineaments prevalent in Big Hill caverns are evident in West Hackberry caverns. Irregularities of the West Hackberry caverns are restricted to preferential solution formed pits and protuberances with moderate dimensions. In fact, the principal characteristic of West Hackberry caverns is the often large sections of smooth and cylindrical cavern wall. Differences in the cavern characteristics between West Hackberry and Big Hill suggest that the former dome is quite homogeneous, while the latter still retains strong remnants of the interbeds of the original bedded Louann salt. One possible explanation is that the source of the two domes, while both from the Louann mother salt, differs. While the source of the Big Hill dome is directly from the mother salt bed, it appears that the West Hackberry arises from a laterally extruded sill of the mother salt. Consequently, the amount of deformation, and hence, mixing of the salt and interbed material in the extruded sill is significantly greater than would be the case for the directly formed diapir. In West Hackberry, remnants of interbeds apparently no longer exist. An important aspect of the construction of the West Hackberry caverns is the evidence of an attempt to use a uniform solutioning construction practice. This uniformity involved the utilization of single well solutioning and the consistent physical location of the inlet/outlet tubing in each solutioning stage, although the process did evolve with time as would be expected in a large construction project. In this study of the construction of the West Hackberry caverns, it was possible to examine the apparent effects of flow rate (solutioning rate) and salt removal quantities during each of the solutioning stages of construction. Interestingly, there appeared to be no real influence of these factors on the details of the cavern characteristics. Any of the flow rates or removal quantities could produce significant irregularities at discrete cavern wall locations, whether or not these irregularities influence the cavern behavior remains unclear. It seems that subsequent solutioning stages could either remove irregularities from earlier stages or generate irregularities of their own. In the study, no apparent influence of the material factors of creep resistance or impurity content of the salt could be found. As has been previously speculated from the earlier study of Big Hill caverns, some irregularities of the cavern wall are thought to be the formation sites of potential salt falls, this thought pertains to the West Hackberry caverns, as well. Considering the extent of the West Hackberry cavern facility, the relative uniformity of the solution mined caverns throughout the facility is impressive. This uniformity is certainly the result of homogeneity of the salt dome, and the uniformity of the solutioning practice in these single well caverns.

Salt Domes in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Offshore Tidelands

Salt Domes in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Offshore Tidelands PDF Author: M. E. Hawkins
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Gas, Natural
Languages : en
Pages : 86

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Behavior of Salt from the Bayou Choctaw Salt Dome

Behavior of Salt from the Bayou Choctaw Salt Dome PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 8

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Mechanical Behaviour of Salt VII

Mechanical Behaviour of Salt VII PDF Author: Pierre Bérest
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 0415621224
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 508

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Book Description
This collection of papers on research into and management of underground structures in salt formations represents the state-of-the-art on applications of salt mechanics in mines and storage caverns for gas/hydrocarbon, radioactive waste and toxic waste disposal. The contributions cover laboratory experiments, constitutive numerical modeling and field investigations, and deal with creep, damage, thermo-hydro-mechanical and chemical-coupled effects, lessons learnt from real sites and structures and in-situ monitoring. The book is organized into eight topics: • Laboratory investigations and constitutive modeling • Coupled processes and hydro-chemical effects (THMC) • Field measurements and back-analyses • Numerical modeling • Dry mining, post-mining and backfilling • Liquid hydrocarbon storage and brine-production caverns • Gaseous hydrocarbon storage and compressed air energy storage • Hazardous and radioactive waste disposal Mechanical Behavior of Salt VII will appeal to academics, engineers and professionals involved in salt mechanics.

Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Texoma Group Salt Domes: Appendices A and B

Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Texoma Group Salt Domes: Appendices A and B PDF Author: United States. Strategic Petroleum Reserve Office
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Petroleum products
Languages : en
Pages : 452

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Salt Domes of South Louisiana

Salt Domes of South Louisiana PDF Author: New Orleans Geological Society. Salt Dome Study Group
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Oil fields
Languages : en
Pages : 310

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Capline Group Salt Domes SPR, Iberia/Iberville/Lafourche Parishes

Capline Group Salt Domes SPR, Iberia/Iberville/Lafourche Parishes PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 422

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Strategic Petroleum Reserve Plan

Strategic Petroleum Reserve Plan PDF Author: United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Petroleum
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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